Effective Weight Loss Services in Arizona

For medical weight loss, dietary counseling focuses on helping you create lifestyle changes that lead to better food choices. The team educates you about food and how what you eat affects your health. They also talk about portion sizes.

The dietary counselor works closely with you, developing a plan that improves your eating habits and food choices to help you reach your goal weight.

Dietary counseling before bariatric surgery is similar to what you’d expect during medical weight loss counseling; it includes your registered dietitian helping you make better food choices now and in preparation for after surgery. 

Your pre-bariatric surgery dietary counseling also includes behavior changes you need to make and continue after your surgery. For example, drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day, eating slowly, and getting an adequate amount of sleep. 

Your surgeon at AZ Surgical Weight Loss may also request you lose weight before bariatric surgery. Your registered dietitian designs a healthy weight loss plan so you can reach your pre-surgical weight goals without affecting your nutritional health.

Dietary counseling after bariatric surgery varies depending on your post-surgical stage. Immediately following your surgery, you start a clear liquid diet and slowly add thicker liquids as tolerated.

About two weeks after surgery, your dietitian helps you transition to the puree diet. Between weeks two and eight, they work with you as you move to a soft diet and talk to you about when to eat and when to drink. 

Once you’re on a regular diet, dietary counseling focuses on helping you create meals that maximize your nutrient intake and reduce the risk of side effects, emphasizing lean sources of protein and fruits and vegetables.

Your dietitian also talks to you about the nutritional supplements you need to take, including a multivitamin, calcium and vitamin D supplements, iron, and vitamin B12.